The Time Has Come For You To Rescue Me
by LaiRaye
Summary: Sometimes I just wish you could rescue me. Ok then, I will...If you promise to rescue me back.
1. Haunted By The Ghost

_Six years had passed since Peyton's tragic death._  
_Everyone was worried about Lucas. _

_Worried that this would devastate him to his very core. _

_They worried he might never recover.  
_

_That's where they were wrong._

_He had a little girl to worry about now, and he wasn't about to disappoint her as a father. He loved her and laughed with her and gave her Eskimo kisses. She had sandy blonde hair and eyes greener than jade. She had adorable chubby cheeks and a brilliant smile. She was a miniature Peyton in essence but a stronger version.  
_

_She knew her daddy would hole himself up in his study at night and cry into a bottle of vodka. She knew that whenever he heard Peyton's name, he would turn away ever so slightly, so people could not see the pain in his face. She knew that whenever her daddy looked at her and smiled, his eyes were still sad. She knew all of these things, but she never told her daddy. She knew that he was trying to be strong for her and she wanted to let him think that he was._

She did not need rescuing.

She just wanted someone to rescue him. 

The woman was listening intently to the phone.  
She then said in a hushed tone, "I know. It's surreal. After all these years of convincing…" She nodded a few times.  
Then she said goodbye.  
She sat in silence for a few moments, thinking.

Paige Scott turned to the brunette adult sitting next to her.  
"Daddy's movie premiere is coming up…", she said as she fiddled with her toy.  
The cheery woman smiled.  
"I know, babygirl. I'm so happy it's finally happening for him!"

Paige had a distinct look on her face.  
She was thinking hard about something.  
She was concocting a plan.  
She put the toy down. "Don't you ever get lonely?"

The woman stiffened in her seat.

"What do you mean, sweetie? I've got Haley and Nathan and Millicent and Mouth."  
A smile crept up onto her face. "And I've got you, silly!"  
She pounced on the little girl and began to tickle her.  
"Take that, P!" Paige tossed and turned and squealed.  
"No, B, no!" The little girl laughed her beautiful laugh.  
After a few minutes, the tickle battle ended.

Paige's smile began to fade and she started fidgeting with the toy again.  
"But B, those people are all married. When are you going to find a boyfriend?"

The woman looked away and grinned.  
Not the genuinely happy grin, but the one where she knows she just can't seem to hide things successfully from the people who care about her.

"I don't know, Paige, honey. I just haven't found the guy for me yet--"

Just then, the door swung open and a tall, scruffy man walked in.  
"How are my two pretty girls doing?" he asked.

And then Paige put the purple monkey down and rushed into his arms.

"Hey there, Brooke", Lucas said with a warm smile.  
"Hey there yourself, Mr. Scott", Brooke responded, with that playful glint in her eye.

Paige watched gleefully as her two favorite people in the world began to interact.

Lucas laughed. "Why do you call me that?"  
"Well, you're looking a little worse for wear with that beard you're sporting. I could call some people and clean you right up, you know", Brooke suggested with a smirk.  
Then Paige piped up, "Or you could do it Brooke!"

Lucas tilted his head at Paige before Brooke could respond and said sternly, "Now, now." "You are supposed to be calling her Ms. Davis or Ms. Brooke just like I asked you."  
"Well, I told her to call me Brooke," the brunette interjected.  
"We're pals. That's how pals talk," she finished.  
"Then how're ya gonna get away with calling me Mr. Scott?"  
"The beard, Luke, the beard," Brooke said, looking at him and pretending to grimace.

Lucas shook his head at her as he usually did, pretending to be annoyed when really, being around her gave him the best feeling.  
Paige noted to herself to that she had to convince him to get rid of the beard.  
After all, Brooke didn't like it.

Paige sat in the back seat of the pickup truck and peered over at Lucas, who was driving.  
He had this peculiar look on his face.  
A look that always seemed to find it's way to him when he was around Brooke.  
A look that made it seem like all of his troubles and sorrows were taking backseat to the temporary happiness that consumed him.  
His daughter was trying to think of what to say because she knew that enough time in silence and the look of happiness would fade away from his face.

"Dad, you should ask Brooke to dinner or to a movie or something," she said thoughtfully.  
Lucas' face looked pained for a second, once again.  
Paige berated herself. It must have not been the right thing to say.  
"Paige, I'm too busy for that right now. You know, with Ravens," he said, his brow furrowing.

Paige didn't like that excuse.

"Dad, you've been coaching basketball for forever and you just now started with the movie stuff! How can you be too busy to have fun?"  
Lucas stopped the car in the middle of the empty street and turned around to look at her.  
"Paige Elizabeth Scott", he scolded.  
"I don't have time to explain to you again how important this movie is. My career depends on this movie. It's what is putting food on the table and clothes on your back. I don't have time to watch the game with your uncle or make frivolous plans with Brooke."

He was fuming.  
Paige's lip quivered.  
"But they make you happy, daddy! Brooke makes you happy!"  
Lucas turned around and continued to drive as Paige looked out the window.

"I still...I can't believe it," Brooke said to Haley, without really looking at her.

She had that glazed over look, like she was deep in thought.  
Haley nodded. "I know. Lucas just...hasn't been himself ever since..."  
They were both silent. Brooke eyes filled with tears. She got better and better at not letting them go. But they stung at her eyes. This stung at her heart.

Haley broke the silence and said with resolve, "I think Lucas needs this. The premiere. I think he needs to actually watch this movie and it will help him truly connect with what happened," and then her voice got softer. "If he sees Peyton on screen, he'll be able to cope with it."

Brooke's glace met with Haley's and she replied, "I mean, I look at Paige and I know that it's affecting her. She's so young but so was Peyton when her mom died. I remember how Larry acted and he would never admit the reason. But Peyton knew. Paige knows."

Haley took a sip from her tea and Brooke continued to sketch.

Haley chuckled. It was a bittersweet laugh. "Lucas has always been so impatient. Ever since I could remember."

Brooke smiled and nodded.

"To see him take so long with this movie, to keep making excuses to Julian and the other producers. It's like he's-"  
"Running away," Brooke finished.

"He doesn't want to face the truth. And I'm afraid for him Brooke. He's been holding this inside, trying to make everyone think that Peyton's death did not devastate him. I'm afraid for Paige. I don't want Lucas to take this out on her after all these years," Haley said with great concern.

Brooke sobbed.

"I was mad at her, too. At first. I used to think she took Peyton away from us. But then I realized. I can't look at it like that," Brooke said as tears streamed down her face.

Haley got off her bar stool and gathered Brooke into her arms. She ran her fingers through Brooke's hair, like any good mother would do.

"It was in Peyton's genes, that's why this happened. The complications."  
Haley said calmly.

Brooke's mouth quivered as she said," My parents always hated me for something that wasn't even my fault and I had been doing that to Paige. When I realized that, I knew I had to love her. I know Peyton would want me to because she can't." Brooke began to stop crying.

They sat in silence again.

"I have to go," Brooke finally said with a fake smile. She didn't show her teeth. It was her pokerface and Haley knew it well.  
"Alright. Be safe," Haley said gently.

Brooke abruptly waved and put on her coat as she exited the Scott household.

Haley looked at her table and there was Brooke's sketch.  
She picked it up and stared at it sadly.  
It wasn't a design or a scribble.  
It was a portrait of Peyton.  
She was smiling.


	2. Blast From The Past

It was 4 days until the premiere. Lucas was going a mile a minute. One moment, he's answering his cell phone to make more arrangements, another moment he's going to a business meeting, and to top it off, he had to pick up Paige from school.

He got off the plane and walked briskly through the airport terminal to get his bags. He saw a couple saying goodbye and the woman was crying. The brunette resembled Brooke.

He smiled.

It was the same spot where he comforted Brooke when she had to return Angie. It felt good to be there for her. With her puffy eyes and cheeks red from crying, he always felt that she was devastatingly beautiful.

He shook off the thought quickly, as he had done many times. It was almost wrong to feel anything for Brooke. Peyton was dead. He had a daughter.

He grabbed his bags and saw another brunette. 'Geez, can't you look at a girl with brown hair without thinking of her?' he berated himself.

"Luke!" the girl exclaimed.

His eyes got wide.

He blinked.

Brooke stood before him.

"In your own little world again?" she laughed.

He smiled bashfully.

"What are you doing here?" he said quietly.

"Had some business in New York today. You know how it is." she replied.

Before Lucas could reply, there was an announcement on the loud speaker.

"Attention, Brooke Davis. Your driver called and will be unable to assist you today. You can make arrangements at the front desk for alternative transportation."

Her mouth dropped and she scowled.

"Well, that's just great. I didn't want to make the drive home after the day I've had."

She began to walk away and Lucas grabbed her arm gently.

"Hey, where are you going? You have your own personal chauffeur right here Brooke Davis."

She smiled and said, "Well, I do look good in the backseat of a car..."

---------------------------------------------------

Sam was sitting in Brooke's stylish living room, her converse sneakers dirtied with mud, her eyes smoldering with thick eyeliner.

She was 21 years old now, and part of a famous rockband, called A Raven and A Writing Desk. She was the singer slash songwriter and Jack was her drummer. Julian, in a very strange way, was right to tell her to keep trying. But with her attitude, a career writing sappy novels just wasn't her thing.

She sat on the couch, fiddling with her fingers, which were covered in chipped, black nailpolish.

And she waited…and waited… and…

"Who's there?!' Brooke screeched, wearing a bathrobe and tossled hair, as if Felix had just "benefited" her.

Sam smiled.

Brooke didn't see her.

After all, it was 3 o'clock in the morning.

"Miss me?" Sam said, still smirking.

Brooke lowered the gun she had been holding.

"Sam…?" she asked, her voice quietly echoing in the darkness.

Sam remained still; she was enjoying this too much.

Brooke smelled something….a mix of coffee and cigarettes.

She flicked on the light.

"It IS you!" Brooke exclaimed. She gave Sam one of her fake smiles as if to say 'I'm sooo impressed. '

Sam gave her a real smile and Brooke smiled back, taking her into her arms.

"I missed you, you brat…" she said.

Sam replied, "Of course you did," and her smile widened.

They parted, and Brooke took a long glance at her.

"Still not a fan of showers, I see?"

"Still not a fan of gettin' any?"

"Real cute, Sam."

They both took a seat on Brooke's couch.

"What brings you here," Brooke asked, "you know, breaking and entering into my house at the buttcrack of dawn?"

"I heard that the movie is finally coming out; I heard about the premiere. Julian told me. I figured it'd be a good time to visit."

Julian's face entered her mind for the first time in a long time and she recalled him fondly.

"I see. Is he here too? In Tree Hill?"

"Yeah."

It was silent for a minute.

"I'm pretty sure he still has some feelings for you, Brooke."

"Oh, stop it." Brooke waved her hand, dismissing her.

Sam shook her head. She couldn't understand why Brooke was so stubborn. It was like she was holding onto something. To what, she just couldn't place…

-------------------------------------------------------

Brooke sat with her legs crossed on a stool in Clothes Over Bros.

She was busy sketching a design for her new line.

Or at least attempting to.

Her mind was racing.

'Maybe Sam is right,' Brooke thought to herself.

'It's been quite a while since…'

She knew all too well, her nights nowadays consisted of Brooke-ing herself.

Nobody else.

She scribbled faster and faster.

'Julian huh?'

Her mind flashed back to him. And her.

Kissing. Touching. Her straddling him and…

Her pencil snapped.

She felt someone's eyes on her.

It was Lucas, standing by the entrance.

"Hey you," he said, giving her a warm smile.

"Hey…" she replied, in a daze.

Her noted the broken pencil in her hand, and one of his eyebrows arched.

"I think someone's focusing a little too much on their work."

'What a huge lie', she thought to herself, smiling feebly at his remark.

"All work and no play makes Brooke a dull girl," he said mockingly.

"Ha-ha," Brooke fake laughed.

'Wow, even Lucas can sense I'm in a dry spell,' she thought.

Lucas watched as Brooke fidgeted uncomfortably and realized he had said something wrong.

He knew better than to mention it, though.

"Listen, how about we go get a bite at the diner or something? My treat?"

Brooke grinned and accepted the offer.

What a mistake, she decided later.

When they walked in, there was Julian.

------------------------------------------------

Brooke froze in her tracks when she saw Julian. He definitely noticed her right away. Cue his charming grin.

Lucas felt tense all of a sudden. So much for having a nice quiet meal with an old friend. He would now be the third wheel. Not that he wanted to be part of a bicycle again, with Brooke… 'God, what am I even talking about?' he thought, as he realized what kind of nonsense was going through his head. He looked away when he saw Julian get up and walk towards them.

"Wellllll, well," Julian said to both of them, his eyes glued to Brooke. "It's been a while hasn't it?" He opened his arms for a friendly, its-so-good-to-see-you hug for Brooke.

She gulped and hugged him back awkwardly. Julian closed his eyes and felt relief as soon as their bodies came into contact. Lucas caught it.

Brooke's heart fluttered a little bit. She pulled away from the hug.

"It certainly has been a while," Brooke finally said.

Julian turned to Lucas and shook his hand. "Never thought I'd see this place again!" he said. Lucas nodded.

When Lucas decided not to have the movie premiere in Los Angeles or New York, people were skeptical. After all, why open up a highly anticipated movie in a small, sleepy town in North Carolina?

Lucas' friends understood right away. The public, however, was in shock. Had he completely lost it?

What it came down to is Lucas had grown to hate the press. When his life was in a fantastic place with a beautiful fiancée and a child on the way, they stopped production on his movie. When news of Peyton Sawyer's tragic death hit the airwaves, the offers came pouring in. Why?

He felt disgusted with the movie after he realized why people were suddenly interested in it. Peyton, the main purpose for which he wrote the book and made the movie, was now dead. Death, for some reason, rouses people's curiosity. It had supposedly made their story more romantic.

Lucas felt as if the press were vultures circling and he was just a pathetic rotting carcass. Why did Peyton's life mean the failure of his dreams? Why did her death then open up so many possibilities? She was supposed to be there when his dreams came true. What was the point of the movie anymore?

Lucas gave up writing when Peyton died. He, instead, got his job back at Tree Hill High as a basketball coach. It helped pay the bills but it didn't ensure much for his daughter. So, with Nathan and Haley's advice, he finally accepted one of the offers. For Paige.

The movie wasn't his claim to fame or his ticket to stardom. He saw it as a job. Nothing more. So he told his agents that the premiere would take place at the Tree Hill Cinema. He wasn't going to treat it like some big deal. He was going to stay in his home with his family and that was that.

"Sit down, you two," Julian said to Brooke and Lucas. "It's time to catch up."

Lucas was afraid of that.


End file.
